How Software Companies Can Help Their Customers During COVID-19

23 Mar How Software Companies Can Help Their Customers During COVID-19

It seems like a new state or county issues a stay-at-home mandate every day, so businesses that can remain fully operational are very lucky. Many companies within the technology and software sectors are well-positioned to work remotely. When COVID-19 came to the states, our own company had already been testing teleworking capabilities for quite some time. If your software company is also operating remotely, you’re in good shape to weather this pandemic with minimal losses. Your next step should be determining how you can help your software customers do the same.

Communicate with care

At this point, nearly every company and industry in the U.S. will be impacted by the pandemic in some way. You’ve probably received your own fair share of COVID-19-related announcements, updates, and statements in the last few weeks. But how many of those emails did you actually read, and how many of them contained information that you found valuable?

Software companies need to keep their own customers in the loop, but before you press send, ask yourself the following questions:

• Will this message help our customers understand how this pandemic is impacting our products and solutions?

• Will this message explain to our customers what that impact means for them?

If you’re not sure how to answer these questions, DON’T just send a cookie-cutter statement that doesn’t address the needs of your customers. Instead, reach out to ask how you can support them during this challenging time.

Create a resource center

Your customers are likely experiencing many of the same struggles as your own organization, just at a different scale. Most of them are probably poring over revenue reports and scrambling to find ways to cut expenses and preserve income. Many of them are wondering how to communicate with their customers.

Whenever and wherever you can, your software company should be a resource. Provide live support and instructional videos to help your customers take advantage of all the tools and solutions you offer. In a more general sense, share business tips, best practices, health advice, and critical information (but only when you’re completely confident in the accuracy of this information).

Kicksite, a software company serving martial arts schools, is doing a great job of this on their blog and social media channels, frequently sharing content designed to help their customers adapt to survive in the face of COVID-19. Our own team has also developed a COVID-19 Business Resources page, available here.

Offer customers value

Adobe, Zoom, Calendly, Dropbox, and numerous other software companies are offering free promotions to help customers cope with the rapid onset of change brought on by COVID-19.

If you have solutions that will help your customers maintain their livelihoods as we endure this pandemic, LET THEM KNOW. Make sure this doesn’t come off as a cash grab. You should lead with the value the solution offers, then talk about price. Be willing to negotiate. If you can reasonably help a customer stay afloat, you should, because if COVID-19 forces them to close, you’ve lost that customer anyway.

Final thoughts

This is a difficult time and businesses everywhere are finding themselves in the position of having to sharply reduce expenses. And when your customers start tightening their belts, they’ll only keep paying you if you’ve shown that you truly care about them, and can offer solutions to help navigate a business landscape altered by COVID-19.

Here at BASYS, we’ve been in consistent contact with our partners and merchants from the get-go. If you’re a current partner that needs help addressing the changing needs of your merchants, please reach out to us.

BASYS Processing as a business partner

If your processor doesn’t offer seamless integration and an industry-leading revenue share, please call BASYS Processing at (800) 386-0711. Let’s talk about creating a true business partnership that will help you exceed your goals.

About BASYS Processing

BASYS Processing provides credit card and debit card processing services, and solutions that include terminals, virtual terminals, e-commerce, mobile, and point-of-sale, customized to fit any need. Banks, associations, and software partners depend on us to strengthen their reputations and relationships with their customers by providing remarkable service paired with ultimate flexibility and pricing. Merchants depend on us to make accepting credit cards and debit cards convenient, safe & affordable. BASYS was founded in 2002 on one philosophy: to take care of our merchants, partners, and employees so they never want to leave. We are dedicated to working one-on-one with our customers to design the perfect solution. BASYS is Personalized Payment Processing.